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Pokémon GO: Three Strikes & You’re Out

Cheaters Will Be Given Several Warnings Before Being Permanently Banned

A recently announced three-strike disciplinary policy for Pokémon GO aims to stamp out in-game cheating and encourage fair play among the game’s player base.

The first strike will be a warning, the second strike will result in a temporary suspension and the third strike will result in being permanently banned from the game.

If a player feels that their account was unfairly banned then they can appeal that ban with the game’s developers at Niantic.

“At Niantic, we strive to create a friendly and fair gameplay experience for all players,” the developers explained. “As part of that commitment, we enforce a three-strike policy against cheating. This policy may provide offenders with a series of disciplinary actions that gradually increase in severity and provide multiple opportunities to change their behavior.”

Niantic defines cheating in Pokémon GO as doing things such as using emulators and “falsifying location (GPS location spoofing)”. Players can also get banned if they’ve been harassing people.

However, some actions may result in permanent bans without receiving any warnings or “strikes” at all.

“Keep in mind that offenders are not always offered three strikes,” Niantic noted. “Some misbehaviors may result in immediate account termination without prior warning.”

What do you think of this disciplinary policy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!